Lessons learnt from the epic Mahabharat

A brief summary of Mahabharat:

It is a Sanskrit epic of ancient India which narrates the Kurukshetra war between the Kaurvas and Pandavas. It describes the life op people in ancient India and preaches the four 'goals of life' or purusharthas. The latter are enumerated as dharma(right action), artha (purpose), karma(duty) and moksha (liberation). This epic was written by the sage Vyasa. The central theme of the epic is that 'good triumphs over evil'.

 Lessons learnt:
       1. Bhagvad Gita was preached to Arjuna on the battlefields of Kurukshetra. This preaching is of excellent value even today. It preaches man to perform his duties without worrying about the results.
        2. Lord Krishna and Arjuna were very good friends. Lord Krishna stood by Arjuna on many difficult occassions and also saved his life many times. This teaches us to value our friends.
        3. Devavratha got his nickname Bhishma (terrible vow) because of his vow to never get married in his lifetime. This vow ultimately leads to his downfall. This teaches us to 'look before leap'. Before promising anything we must consider consequences.
       4. Karna also known as 'Danveer' because of his quality to donate anything and everything that was asked to him is also an important character of this epic. Because of his habit of donating he lost all of his precious things including his golden armor which ultimately lead to his downfall. This teaches us that while giving we must consider the necessity of the receiver.
       5. Arjuna was a great archer of his time and he was very proud of his skills which made him arrogant. Lord Krishna played various tricks on him to expose his hollowness and break his overconfidence. This teaches us not to be proud of what we have never be over confident. Same thing can be learnt from the story of Bhima.
        6. Duryodhana and Dussassana insulted Draupadi- wife of Pandavas which ultimately lead to their annihilation. This teaches us never to insult a woman.
        7. Dhrutrashtra was taught good advices by Lord Krishna, Vidura, etc. but he ignored them because of his mad love for his sons. This teaches us that ignoring good advices can cause harm and destruction. This also shows how mad love of parents can spoil their children.

     

Truth behind artificially ripened fruits

       Ripening agent like calcium carbide is being used to speed up the ripening process. They allow many fruits like mangoes and bananas to be picked prior to full ripening. This method is generally useful for the traders since ripened fruits cannot be transported properly over long distances. However, this method is harmful for the consumers, because artificially ripened fruits are tasteless and toxic.

        Calcium carbide which is generally used as an artificial ripening agent, once dissolved with water produces acetylene. Acetylene is believed to affect the nervous system by reducing the oxygen supply to the brain. Ethylene which is a byproduct is also known to damage the neurological system.

         Artificially ripened fruits differ from  the natural ones since they are uniformly well colored and black patches may appear on them in 2 or 3 days.

     
         In India the practice of artificially ripening is banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and violators are liable to undergo six month imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs. 1,000. But there are hardly any cases where traders or retailers are booked under this act.

         It is necessary that we look before eating. While eating mangoes and apples, cut them into pieces rather than consuming directly. Fruits which have uniform color, for example a bunch of bananas having a uniform color is more likely to be ripened artificially. And lastly wash them before consuming.

        

Indian Cricket team: Kings on the cards

        The recent debacle of the Indian Cricket team at the T20 World Cup in West Indies has exposed its hollowness. The weakness of Indian team against short pitched deliveries was banked handsomely by their opponents. It is ridiculous to see Indian players playing at the highest level struggle against quality fast bowling and something is really wrong with the Cricketing structure in India.

        The excuse presented by the Indian skipper MS Dhoni that the late night IPL parties were a cause of  defeat  does not justify Indian teams abysmal performance. Last year too the Indian Cricket team had blamed the IPL for the last years fiasco in defending the World Cup championship. BCCI should have also learned from the last years experience and could have made changes in the IPL schedule keeping in mind the World Cup. But the truth is that the greedy nature of both the Board and the Players led to the downfall.

           Indian players also need to have a change of attitude. Indian coach Gary Kirsten raising questions about the commitment of Indian players is not a good sign. Fitness level of the players was also under the scanner during this World Cup. The words quoted by the coach that at 42 he is fitter than some of the players in the Indian Cricket team is really embarassing for the players.

         My advise to the Indian team in this situation would be, play for your country and not for money. Stop blaming the IPL for the fiasco. There were players in the Australian and English team as well who participated in IPL but they never complained. The performance of such players has even got better while playing for the country. Take the case of Kevin Pietersen, he also participated in the IPL and also became a father for the first time during the tournament but still his commitment his unquestionable. He played match winning innings in the semifinal and the final and was judged Man of the Tournament. Same commitment from the Indian players is expected. Finally, Dhoni  & Co. don't be a BADMAASH COMPANY  chasing money. You are our heroes and real heroes are defined by their deeds. Don't be kings on the cards...be kings in our hearts !!

       

Synopsis 4: Digital Fortress and Deception Point

      Both these books by Dan Brown have remarkable similarities. This is the reason why I am writing the combined synopsis of both these books. The above photo was clicked immediately after I finished reading both these books.


       Digital Fortress is about an organization named National Security Agency (NSA) while Deception Point is about National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Both these organizations are US based and have a significant role in the security of that country.


       Digital Fortress revolves around Susan Fletcher- a brilliant, beautiful Cryptographer and an employee at NSA. This book describes how she is able to save the NSA from a conspiracy hatched by the Director of NSA. In this process she gets help from David Becker, a professor at Georgetown University and a brilliant foreign language specialist.


        Deception Point revolves around Rachel Sexton-daughter of a politician and an employee at NRO. This book describes how she is able to unmask the NRO director who tries to deceive the whole world by manipulating with the scientific evidence about extraterrestrial  life. In this process she gets help from Michael Tolland - an oceanographer and a T.V. presenter.

Synopsis 3- Angels and Demons

         I read this novel after watching the movie but I found that the book is more interesting than the movie. This is because the book has got more twists and turns and is thrilling till the end.


         The book describes how Robert Langdon, Professor of symbology at Harvard and the main character of this book, with the help of Vettoria Vetra(an Italian scientiest and the other main character of the book) are able to save Vatican from a deadly conspiracy. Robert Langdon uses his knowledge of symbology to prevent Vatican from a certain annihilation.


         In this novel I particularly liked the description of the medieval age monuments of Rome and Vatican.


          This book is a must read for suspense lovers. :)
            




   

Synopsis 2: Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

         Dan Brown novels are my favorite. That is the reason I am writing reviews of the novels. I am going to write a series of reviews of all the Dan Brown books. This is first of the series.

         Dan Brown has blended the historical facts along with his observations with immaculate perfection. It is a highly riveting  and interesting story which keeps you turning pages.

          This book describes how Robert Langdon,Professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University solves a series of puzzles to unravel the mystery behind the murder of curator Jacques Saunière of the Louvre Museum in Paris.The ultimate solution is found to be connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion, as well as to the Knights Templar. The story also involves the Roman Catholic organization Opus Dei.

            The pains he might have taken to write this book is highly commendable. A fantastic novel !!



   

Labour Day

       "There is power, there is power in a band of working men, when they stand, hand in hand. That's is a power, that's a power that must rule every land."-Joe Hill.
        As the above saying goes, it is the power of labour which is behind every nations success and economic progress. To acknowledge this fact, Labour Day is celebrated all over the world on May1. This day is also known as 'May Day' or 'Workers Day'.

        The origin of May Day has its origins in the Eight Hour Day movement, which advocated eight hours of work, eight hours of recreation and eight hours of rest.

        I am the of the opinion that this day can also be taken as a day to remember the contribution of farmers and soldiers of our country. Farmers on one hand provide us with food-grains, vegetables and fruits necessary foe life. On the other hand, soldiers protect our land from the enemy. Our ex- Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri rightly quoted, "Jai Jawan, Jai  Kisan." It mean hail the soldier and hail the farmer.

Fortune favors the Brave

Fortune favors the brave- The saying goes like this, success belong to those who are willing to take risks. Success belongs only to the brave and courageous. History is full of mention of people who have rewritten history through their courage and valor- Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Chhatrapati Shivaji and so on.


A popular saying goes, "Attitude defines Altitude." It is the attitude, passion and motivation that determines the extent of success which a person can achieve. A person must develop a winning and optimistic attitude which is indispensable for success. It is the attitude that motivates a person to work hard in the right direction.


Another popular saying goes, "Victory is not just crossing the goal line; rather it is the process of crossing the opposition and then reaching the goal line. What it means is that success is not an abrupt phenomenon, it is as culmination of process marked by long and relentless struggle. Take the example of Abraham Lincoln. After facing a series of failures and defeats he went on to hold the most prestigious office that of the President of the United States.



I would like to conclude with the words quoted by William Jennings Bryan, "Destiny is no matter of chance, it a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

Synopsis 1- Godfather by Mario Puzo

       This book by Mario Puzo is work of genius. It has got everything-all the ingredients of a blockbuster novel- suspense, thrill and drama. Once you start this book, you cannot put it down.
   
       The story given in this book is very riveting and keeps you interested till the very last page.It speaks about Don Corleone- a honorable, just and reasonable man and his mafia in New York. It speaks about the cunning ways by which he runs his mafia and manages the various people. It also speaks about his family.

        This book is divided into nine parts and I particularly liked the first and the eighth part, although the other parts are also very good and interesting.

My favorite line from the book:

' Let your friends underestimate your abilities and let your opponents overestimate your your faults , that's the greatest blessing you can have.'

3 Generation (3G) : A new dimension to the telecom boom

                India which is the fastest growing  mobile phone market is on its way to a major transformation. The 3G auction will add a new dimension to the telecom sector. First day, first show saw 12 percent higher bids than the fixed base price of Rs. 3,500 crore. Nine bidders put on the table a total of Rs.12,000 crore and that's already one third of the officially projected revenue haul of around Rs.35,000 crore. Cash inflow from the auction is expected to exceed the government's estimation. The 3G auction and the revenue generated from it will reduce the fiscal deficit substantially. It is expected that the fiscal deficit will be trimmed to 5.5 percent of GDP in 2010-11.

                For consumers, use of 3G technology will take their mobile experience to the next level. 3G allows various features like high speed internet, video streaming , calling and conferencing, TV viewing , online movies and games, content download, data sharing and transfer.
              
                On their part, the telecom companies may expect good returns on the environment, Going by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report that 150 million cellphone users had subscribed to data and internet services by end of 2009. India is also expected to overtake US to become the second largest mobile phone market. Right now US and India has approximately 260.5 and 250.9 million wireless users. It will be good foe everybody, if competition among operators ensures affordability.